The design team is so amazing - I just loved checking out their blogs the last week. I still can't believe Barbara asked me.

Today, the design team has an inspiration post to share {anything goes}. Check out the LMMS challenge blog and see what all the DT members created today. We will post every Thursday. There are challenges every other week and new digis released each month. Thursdays are going to be So FUN!

Ok - so to the card. I just love Agent Cupcake. She is part of a whole line of images called Operation: Tree House. The rope - I just had to use jute cord.

I printed out the image twice. I sponged one image with Haystack palette ink and glued down the cord with zip dry glue. The second image was colored and cut out. Half the image is popped with pop dots. Her feet are glued down. I also glued her hands to the cord. I really love how she turned out.

Friday, March 23, 2012

Today, I'm in Madison at "Madison Mingle". Back in the day, it was an annual Angel gathering, now it is open to everyone. It is a shoebox gathering. Everyone brings a project with instructions and supplies and we make projects all weekend. This is my project.

The balloon image and flag sentiments are from one stamp set from Unity called Absolutely Priceless. The designer paper is from K and Company. The cardstock is Bazzill Jacaranda and Everglade, PTI Fine Linen. The ink is PTI Dark Chocolate.

I stamped the balloon on fine linen cardstock then cut it out. I did the same with the sentiment flags. I layered the patterned paper and everglade cardstock on fine linen cardstock. Using a ruler and a white signo gel pen I created faux stitching.

The button (blueberry sky) is from PaperTrey Ink as well as the cream button twine. The button is added to the balloon image with a glue dot. The balloon is added to the card with pop dots.

{I really wanted to use this paper for the card project I featured today, but I didn't get it in time.}

For your chance to win this "Awesome" Blog Candy: 1. Become a Follower of my blog 2. Leave a comment (if you are already a follower or follower by e-mail just mention that in your comment)The winner will be chosen by random.org and winner posted April 2nd!

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Today, I'm playing along with another sketch challenge. This one is from Sweet Sunday. I used a digi from Doodle Pantry so I can enter into their Challenge #21, use a Doodle Pantry image. The Sweet Sunday challenge ends March 23rd and the Doodle Pantry challenge ends the 24th, if you would like to play along. Doodle Pantry offers free digis if you don't have any of their images. Love that! Check out their Freebies page.

The Doodle Pantry image I used is one I bought last Fall. It is about time I used it!! It is in their bargain basket "Rose Duo". Here is the sketch from the Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge - great layout!

This also gave me the opportunity to use a new spring paper from My Mind's Eye "Dolled Up".

The image is colored with Copic markers cut out and mounted on a die cut circle. I had hoped to create the one-piece banner using Label 18 as the bottom edge but it just didn't happen like I had envisioned, so I settled for two pieces. {Sigh} Perhaps another day I can get it to work.

Monday, March 19, 2012

I don't usually just color an image and hope I have a patterned paper that goes but this time that is what I did and got lucky. I've used this Crate Paper Farmhouse cardstock before though and it does have colors in it I use often.

I colored the image with Copic markers and chalked the background. I actually colored through the dots on the toadstool to get an even blend then went back with some Copic opaque white and painted the dots. They really stand out that way. I added some saddle stitch ribbon. I love how bold it is.

Sunday, March 18, 2012

I found another awesome challenge last night. This challenge is for A Day for Daisies. They a new digi release called Blue Birdie. I love birds. They offer this free digi to play along with their challenge - the theme is shades of blue/blue birds. The challenge is open until March 29th. This is what I came up with today.

Blues and greens are favorite colors, so it gave me a chance to use this brand new designer paper from BoBunny called the Alora collection. All 3 patterned papers used for this card are from the Alora collection. The cardstock is Bazzill Whirlpool and Parakeet - two of my favorite colors.

Today, I'm playing along with 2 more challenges. Totally Paper Crafts has a challenge theme of male cards. Lots of awesome colored images for that challenge. The second challenge is over at Card Crafter's Circle and the theme is gold/pot of gold.

This is a super simple monochromatic card. I used PTI Fine Linen for the base card and second layer, Kraft cardstock for the leaf and some metallic gold paper.

The leaf is a Spellbinders Shapeabilities Foliage die. I added some hemp cord to tie in with the kraft cardstock. The sentiment is stamped with metallic gold Encore! ink. This is a great ink if you are looking for metallic gold.

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Over the last week, I've been checking out some challenge blogs. Today, I'm playing along with 4 challenges. First there is Sketch Saturday challenge - here is the sketch:

I adapted the layout a bit from a square card to a 4.25 x 5.5" A2 sized card. Cute layout don't you think? When I was writing my blog I realized that there was a sentiment in the lower right hand corner on the sketch so I actually went back and added it.

The second challenge blog I found is "For Fun Challenges" this week is all about circles and loops. I chose a DP with circle pattern and added lots of buttons.

I have badges on my right side bar for a few challenge blogs I found in the last few days. Card Crafter's Circle has a "gold" challenge this week. I thought about entering that one too but I'm not sure golden yellow qualifies. That is a great challenge blog as well. I was even chosen by the DT for the top 3 a couple weeks ago for my simple button card. That was a nice surprise.

The Fourth challenge blog I found was CMC Copic Challenge Group. They have an anything goes challenge - just need to use alcohol markers.

Lastly, the image by Mabelle RO from her new spring release. Such a fun image - I'm so glad it is available again as a digi.

Monday, March 12, 2012

He is colored with Copic markers. The patterned paper is Crate Paper Farmhouse. I added some light green rhinestones (PTI) to the clover and upper left hand corner. I found some ribbon that tied all the colors together.

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Here is what I came up with this morning. The stamping background is from Biblical Impressions.

Every once in awhile I go through my stamps and and pick out some that I haven't used yet. This one has been on my list since last Fall. It lists all the things I love about stamping and if you are reading this you probably love these things too.

I stamped the background with Palette Noir ink on PTI white cardstock.

Then I used a PTI die - hearts to punch the heart window. I sponged the heart cut out with PTI Pure Poppy ink and adhered to the back flap of the card with pop dots so when closed it all lines up and is one layer.

This is the inside of the card. I added a PTI Pure Poppy button with bakers twine to the heart with a glue dot.

Don't you think this is a simple a fun card for a friend who is a stamper :)

Friday, March 9, 2012

Today I have a card I created using a technique I saw on Pinterest. I used VersaMark ink and stamped the image on PTI Kraft cardstock, then embossed the image with white embossing powder and heat gun.

Both the image and the sentiment are from The Angel Company and hopefully will be available again through Red Rubber Designs. The names of the sets are "Peony" and "For Everything".

The image is colored with Memento Markers. They are water based markers and you can do this with any waterbased marker or ink. I colored with the lighter base color then with the darker shade and created some depth and finally cam back with the lighter shade and tried to blend a bit. Since the ink is water based any ink that has collected on the white embossed areas with wipe off with a tissue leaving the embossed area white. I love this technique.

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Today, I have a card that uses all PaperTrey Ink products. This is a new set that I literally got Saturday and made this card the same day. It is called Lovely Leaves.

This is a one layer image. I used a 3x3" post-it and a pencil to draw the square, then masked the square with post-its.

The background is sponged PTI inks - Kraft, Spring Moss and Enchanted Evening. The solid leaves are stamped using Spring Moss. The dotted outline is Kraft ink. It so helps that these stamps are clear to try to line up the leaves, not perfect but a lot better than blind. The stem and sentiment is Dark Chocolate.

The cardstock is also all from PTI, white, Kraft and Enchanted Evening.

Here is the full set...

This is the last of the cards I created last weekend. It was quite a productive weekend creativity-wise.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

It is Mabelle's birthday today (March 6th) and we are having a hop! I used a digi from Mabelle's Spring release - Springtime Bouquet. This is an awesome digi.

I colored the bouquet with Copic markers then mounted it on embossed white cardstock with pop dots. The impression plate is from PaperTrey Ink and called linen. The sentiment is a stamp from Our Daily Bread, Mini Tags 3.

Monday, March 5, 2012

I have a new card creation today and it uses a mix of products. This is another birthday card I created over the weekend.

The flowers are embossed with Tim Holtz Distress powder antique linen. This is definitely not your normal embossing powder. It is not smooth or glossy but feels like sand. Love the color, goes perfectly with the PaperTrey Ink {PTI} cardstock "fine linen".

I used a Cuttlebug embossing folder swiss dots for the background. The burnt orange cardstock is PTI Canyon Clay. The ink is the coordinating PTI Canyon Clay ink. I sponged ink around the flower image to give a bit of contrast since it is layered on the same color. The button and cream button twine are from PTI.

The flowers are a stamp set from Clear Dollar Stamps "Bitty Botanicals", sadly I think it is retired. The sentiment is an Angel Company set "Love you" - one of my favorite word sets.

Sunday, March 4, 2012

I really was able to get a lot of cards done this weekend. Here is another guy card, great for a birthday.

This stamp is from Biblical Impressions - Cattails. I sponged the background with PTI inks Kraft, Enchanted Evening and Spring Moss. The cardstock was white. Then I stamped the cattails in the lower right corner.

I colored the cattails with colored pencil.

The cattails are stamped again on the the kraft cardstock. The image is layered on PTI Enchanted Evening cardstock. Hemp cord was added to the image and added to the base card with pop dots, lining up the two images so they look continuous.

I have to say I'm so thankful my photo studio is working again. I was having so much trouble with the lighting in the last few months. A couple new 'day light' lights seems to have helped tremendously.

Saturday, March 3, 2012

I have a new card creation today. I needed some male birthday cards for this month and this is what I came up with today. It happens to fit with the neutral color challenge over at Less is More.

I used a several things that I hadn't used before. That is always exciting! The embossed background is "Clockworks" a Cuttlebug embossing folder. I brushed the embossed kraft cardstock with VersaMark Dazzle Champagne ink to give it a bit of shimmer.

The compass is an Angel Company set called "Every Road". The Happy Birthday sentiment is also TAC from Greatest Dad. Hoping these sets with be available again once Red Rubber Designs opens. They will carry TAC images the only question is which ones.

The double ended banner die is from PaperTrey Ink. The cardstock and ink are also from PTI, Kraft, Dark Chocolate (cardstock and ink) and Fine Linen.

About Me

Hello and welcome to my blog!
I LOVE to make cards, stamp and color. I was a team leader (Cream City Angels), catalog designer and design team member for The Angel Company for many years. With the closing of TAC in August 2011, I've chosen to just have fun making cards and supporting stamp artists, rather than sell. So take a look around, I hope you are inspired!

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As of December 1, 2009, new FTC guidelines went into effect requiring bloggers to disclose any time they are compensated for endorsing or reviewing products or services. I serve on several design teams and participate in various social media sites where I post projects containing components I have receive free, have been compensated for or received perks in return for posts on this blog. While this may be the case, I would never endorse or mislead you, my readers, by stating an opinion about any product that I did not wholeheartedly believe in. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have about any post or product I use in any of my projects. Now - back to your regularly scheduled blog post.